Last evening about 6:15 p.m. I got a phone call from a woman seeking pet care services. She was in a panic. She was leaving the following morning at 9:00 a.m. ( that's today), and had no one to care for her kitty for the week she would be away. A friend of hers who had agreed to care for the cat and house sit while she was gone, sent her a text message at about 5:30 p.m., saying her couldn't do it after all. Needless to say she was beside herself. She started calling around to other friends but being fairly new to the city, didn't have many choices. At the eleventh hour, as this was, no one could do it. She found me on Yelp and called.

After hearing her tale of woe, I got in my car and headed over to her place for the consultation appointment. Clearly she was desperate and although I normally do not operate on such short notice, there was no way I could leave her kitty without care for a week. She of course was thrilled and very very grateful. She would be able to get on the airplane with peace of mind knowing her furry kid was in the hands of a professional pet sitter. The kitty was friendly and it was obvious we would get along well while his mom was away.

I told the client that I hoped she had removed her friend's name from her Christmas card list. From what I could tell, the friend canceling was not an emergency but a change of heart.

I bring this up so you will all be aware that these things happen more often than not when we ask friends or family members to care for our pets. It is always much safer and wiser to hire a professional pet sitter and know they will be there absolutely for sure. It is called peace of mind.